Brazil inmates order attacks to protest conditions

Prisoners complaining of violence behind bars ordered a wave of attacks out on the streets in southern Brazil over the past two weeks, officials said on Friday as police reinforcements began arriving.

Santa Catarina State has seen buses torched and police fired on in about 30 cities since Jan. 30.

Authorities say the violence has been masterminded by prison-based crime gangs demanding better living conditions for inmates.

“What the investigation shows is that the attacks were triggered by problems within the prison system. Inmates claimed they were the victims of violence and this is being investigated,” said Claudete Lehmkuhl, a spokeswoman for the Santa Catarina military police.

“Prison guards have been dismissed and new measures could be taken,” she added, citing the possible transfer of prisoners to other penitentiaries.